Potato-planter.



E. W. KITUHEN.

POTATO PLANTER. APPLICATION FILED 0014, 1911.

Patented July 30, 1912.

5 SHEETS8HEET 2.

. INVENTOR Z'Wzmael Wliicfim WITNESSES Alfomey E. w. KITCHEN. POTATOlLANTBRf APPLICATION FILED 00124, 1911.

Patented July 30, 1912.,

5 SHBETS-SHEBT 3.

- INVENTORI Z770 nuez WITNESSES COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH 10.,WASH1NUTON D cE. w; KITCHEN. POTATO PLANTER. APPLIOATION FILED 00124, 1911. 1,034,017. Patented July 30, 1912.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

rill ImHI HIHIH 1TNE55E5-' I YVENTOR a Emanuel WZiZcZen Aflomey cowmamPLANOORAPH ccum's'rilm'r'ou, n, c

I B. W. KITCHEN.

POTATO PLANTER.

, APPLICATION FILED 0013.4, 1911. 1,034,017. Patented July 30, 1912.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

WITNESSES: [NI/ENTOR vi 'wzamrusz WfiZc/iefi Atlorney CDLUMBIAPLANOGRAPH cu, WASHINGTON, 0 c4 EMANUEL W. KITCHEN, OF SOLEBURY,PENNSYLVANIA.

PoTATQ-ELAN EE.

Specification of i'Letters Patent.

Patented July 30,1912.

Application filed October 4, 1911. Serial No. 652,824.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMANUEL V. KITCHEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Eolebury, in the county of Bucks and State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato-Planters, ofwhich the fol- 1 lowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in potato planters, an object ofthe invention being to provide a device of this character which isadapted to be drawn over the ground behind a plow and drop the potatoesdirectly into the furrow prepared for l hopper 5 is supported, and isprovided with its reception.

A further object is to provide a planter of this character with improvedmeans for conveying the potatoes from the hopper into position to besingly grasped by arms and dropped at regular intervals into the ground.

A further object is to provide a pair of dropping mechanisms operatingalternately, and each provided with separate potato conveying means froma hopper to both of said mechanisms, and provide improved means forreturning to said hopper the surplus potatoes carried by said potatoconveying means.

A further object is to provide an improved arrangement of potatodropping arms with improved means for operating them.

A further object is to improve upon the construction set forth in myapplication for patent filed October 22, 1910, and given Serial No.588,509, and patented Oct. 11, 1910, No. 1,005,435.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction and combinations and arrangements ofparts, as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1, is a view in side elevationillustrating my improvements. Fig. 2, is a top plan view. Fig. 3, is aview in longitudinal section on the line 33 of Fig. 2. a view intransverse section on theline k4: of Fig. 3. Fig. 5, is a view in longitudinal section through a portion of the planter on the line 55 of Fig.2 showing in side elevation one of the potato dropping mechanisms. Fig.6, is a view in eleva- Fig. 4, is

tion of the potato dropping mechanism taken from the opposite, side tothat shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7, is an edge view looking .:down from thetop upon the construction j shown in Fig. 6, and Fig. 8, is a detailview of one of the conveyer buckets.

1, represents a horizontal frame which is provided with bearings 2 toreceive an i axle 3, and the latter is secured in the hubs ,of tractionwheels 4. In any event, the wheels as they move .over the ground, areiadapted to turn the axle and may be fixed to the axle or otherwiseconnected.

On the forward end of the frame 1,. a

;a central inclined partition 6 forming the fveyers 8 are adapted tomove. These chain iconveyers 8 comprise a plurality of connectedsprocket links, having buckets 9 ithereon as shown clearly in Fig. 8,and

,which will be more fully hereinafter described.

These conveyers 8 pass over sprocketwheels 11 on transverse shafts 12,

jand the latter are mounted in bearings 10 on frame 1, adjacent theforward end of the latter, and below the hopper 5.

The

said conveyer chains also pass over sprocket wheels 13 WlllCll formparts of spool shaped guides 1d secured to a transverse shaft 15 mountedin the sides 16 near the center; and upper part of the device. Saidconveyer chains alsol engage idlers 17 which are {mounted upon a shaft18 located below and iin rear of shaft 15. The chains therefore 5 arepositioned in a general triangular form,

the shorter portion of the triangle being ibetween the shafts l5 and 18,and this shorter portion is supported against inclined bases 19 so as tosustain the action 1 described. a

The buckets 9 above referred to comprise plates 20 which are rigidlysecured to the ilinks at right angles thereto, and serve to carry thepotatoes up from the hopper as far as the sprocket wheel 13. On thebackface 1 of each of these plates 20, a receptacle 21 is aformedpreferably by bending a piece of 1 sheet metal, so that it forms threetongues as clearly shown in Fig, 8. This constitutes a receptacle whichserves to catch and hold the potato as it falls from the plate behindThe arms also prevent the potatoes from being forced forward with a toogreat momen- 1 tum, which might prevent them from drop ping into thebucket below.

The potatoes which fall from the conveyers' 9, drop into a compartmentwhich 1 nclines to the center,and is provided at 1ts center with anendless conveyer 26 which 20 carries the surplus potatoes back into thehopper 5. This conveyer 26 is mounted upon sprocket wheels 27 and 28respectively, and these sprocket wheels are secured upon shafts 29 and30 respectively supported in the upper and lower portions of the device.The hopper 5 is shaped at its front edge centrally to form a channel 31through top of this channel the potatoes are dropped into the hopperonto the central partition 6, and by the latter distributed into thecompartments of the hopper.

The shaft 29 above referred to is provided on its outer end with asprocket wheel 32 which is connected by a chain 33 with a sprocketwheel34 on a shaft 35. ThlS shaft 35 is supported on frame 1 adjacent thecenter of said frame, and below a short shaft 36.

\ Short shaft 36 and shaft 35 are connected by gears 37 and on the endof shaft 35 opposite to the end on which sprocket wheel 34 1s located, asecond sprocket wheel 38 is secured. This sprocket wheel 38 is connectedby a sprocket chain 39 with a sprocket wheel 40 on a shaft 41 extendedthrough the hopper '5, and provided in said hopper with agitators 42 toprevent the potatoes packing 1n the hopper. On the outer end of shortshaft 36, 'a sprocket wheel 43 is located, and a chain 44 connects thissprocket wheel 43 with a sprocket wheel 45 on shaft 15, and

also with a sprocket wheel 46 on a shaft 47 extending through'the sidesof the planter at-its upper rear portion,and this shaft 47 serves todrive my improved dropping mechanism which will be explained. Shaft 35is also provided with a sprocket wheel 48 which is connected by a chain49 with a 66 sprocket wheel 50 on axle 3. A sprocket chain 51 connects asprocket wheel 52 on shaft 35 with a sprocket wheel 53 on a shaft 54located at the extreme rear of frame 1.

The sides of the planter at the rear are connected by transversepartitions 55 and 56, and these partitions are connected by longimay usevarious numbers. 1 three on each plate, but I may use more or less. Thelonger ends of these arms are hook shape and provided with teeth orprongs 63 tudinal partitions 57 forming a central chute 58 down whichthe potatoes are dropped into the furrow.

On the shaft 47 at opposite sides of the chute 58, potato droppingmechanisms are pivotally supported near their inner ends on bolts 62mounted in disk 59. The particular number of these arms is not material,as I I have shown to engage and hold the potato. The shorter ends of thearms are provided with rollers 64 which are adapted to run upon thetrack 60, and also adapted to be engaged by a lever 64 which ispivotally connected at its lower end as shown at 65, and is connectedbetween its ends by a coiled spring 66 with a fixed which the c'onveyer26 moves, and over the I point 67 so as to exert a rearward springpressure as shown. Thls lever 64 comprises two parallel members 68 and69, the member 1 69 being positioned in line with the space between thedisk 59 and the track and the member 68 positioned against the oppositeface of the disk and in the path of cams 70 on said disk.

It is to be understood that there will be a cam 70 for each arm 61, sothat while the cams 70 serve to force the lever 64 forwardly, the member69 of lever 64, when the cams 70 pass member 68, will engage the roller64 so as to swing the arm and force the prong 63 into a potato in one ofthe buckets 9 as clearly shown in Fig. 3. To permit this movement of theroller 64, track 60 is offset as shown at 71, so that the arm may swingon its pivot to sharply engage the potato. The track is also open asshown at 72, so that the roller may pass out again upon the track as thearm begins its rotary movement.

It is to be understood, of course, that the disk 59 is revolving so thatwhen the arm 61 is forced forwardly to engage a potato, the armimmediately begins to move rearwardly through a slot 73 in partition 56.As this slot 73 is only large enough to accommodate the arm as soon asthe potato engages the partition, it will be drawn over the prongs 63and will be guided down through the chute 58 onto the ground.

It ismy purpose to utilize my planter for dropping the potatoes directlyinto the furro'w behind the plow, and to loosen the soil in the bottomof the furrow before the potato drops therein, I provide a springcultivator tooth 74 which is connected to the frame 1 as clearly shownin Figs. 1 and 3.

The operation is as follows: The planter is drawn over the ground in thedirection of the arrow in Fig. 3, and the traction wheels, through themedium of the several sprocket chains, sprocket wheels and shafts asabove described, turn the several mechanisms to perform their functions.The conveyers 8 carry the potatoes up into position to be engaged by thearms 61 as shown in Fig. 3, and said arms drop the potatoes down thechute 58 into the furrow. The surplus potatoes which fall from theconveyers 9 are caught in the receptacle 25 and carried back into thehopper 5 by means of the conveyer 26. The dropping mechanisms atopposite sides of the apparatus operate alternately, so that a potato isdropped at regular predetermined intervals. This spaces the potatoesproperly in the furrow, and insures a uniform planting.

The device is designed to be drawn by a draft animal and needs noappreciable guiding as it rides over the furrow with the tooth 74 in thefurrow. The operator may therefore walk behind the machine, and if oneof the arms should fail to drop the potato at the regular interval, hecan drop one in by hand by simply throwing one through the chute 58.While I believe the efiiciency of this machine would-be very "high, suchan adaptibility renders it possible to insure a maximum of efiiciency.

For convenience in claiming the appara tus, I shall use the term fcasing to include the sides and partitions to form the several chambers,compartments and receptacles of the device, and utilize this term todescribe that portion of the device supported upon the frame other thanthe operating mechanism.

Various slight changes might be made in the general form and arrangementof parts described without departing from my invention, and hence I donot limit myself to the precise details set forth, but consider myselfat liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall withinthe spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Let-- ters Patent is:

1. In a potato planter, the combination with a frame, a casing supportedon the frame, an axle supporting the frame, and traction wheels on theaxle, of a hopper in the casing, a conveyer movable through the hopper,buckets on said conveyer adapted to carry the potatoes out of thehopper, a rotary device, a series of pivoted arms on said rotary device,and a spring-pressedlever constructed to engage said arms and move themto intermittently remove potatoes from the buckets of the conveyer, anddrop them onto the ground, substantially as described.

2.. In a potato planter, the combination with a frame, a casingsupported on the frame, an axle supporting the frame, and tractionwheels on the axle, of .a hopper in the casing, a conveyer movablethrough the hopper, buckets on said conveyer adapted to carry thepotatoes out of the hopper, a rotary device, a series ofpiv oted arms onsaid rotary device, a springpressed lever constructed 'to engage saidarms and mox e them to intermittently re.- move potatoes from thebuckets of the con veyer, and drop them onto the ground, said buckets.comprising plates, and receptacles formed on the back of the plates andsaid conveyer so positioned as to drop the potatoes from the plates intothe receptacles in advance thereof, substantially as described.

3. In a potato planter, the combination with a frame, a casingsupportedon the frame, an axle supporting the frame, and

traction wheels on the axle, of a'hopper inv the casing, a conveyermovable through the hopper, buckets on said conveyer adapted to carrythe potatoes out of the hopper, a rotary device, a series of pivot-edarms on said rotary device, a spring-pressed IQVGY'COI} structed toengage said arms and move them to intermittently remove potatoes fromthe buckets of the conveyer, and drop them onto the ground, said bucketscomprising plates, and receptacles formed on the back of the plates andsaid conveyer so positioned as to drop the potatoes from the plates intothe receptacles in advance thereof, and spring pressed arms over saidconveyers and adapt edlto 'knockthe surplus potatoes out of thereceptacles, substantially as described.

4%. In a potato planter, the combination with a frame, a casingsupported on the frame, an axle supporting the frame, and tractionwheels on the axle, of a hopper in the casing, a conveyer movablethrough the hopper, buckets on said conveyer adapted to carry thepotatoes out of the hopper, a rotary device, a series of pivoted arms onsaid rotary device, a spring-pressed lever constructed to engage saidarms and move them to intermittently remove potatoes from the buckets ofthe conveyer, and drop them onto the ground, spool shaped guides forsaid conveyers, and plates back of said conveyers at the point ofengagement of said arms with the potatoes "in the receptacle,substantially as described.

5. In a potato planter, the combination with a frame, a casing supportedon the frame, an axle supporting the frame, and traction wheels on theaxle, of a hopper in the casing, a conveyer movable through the hopper,buckets on said conveyer adapted to carrry the potatoes out of thehopper, a

rotary device, a series of pivoted armson said &

rotary device, a spring-pressed lever constructed to engage said armsand move them to intermittently remove potatoes from the buckets of theconveyer, and drop them onto the ground, a receptacle formed in saidcasing and into which the surplus potatoes from the conveyer fall, and aconveyer adapted to carry the potatoes from said receptacle back intothe hopper, substantially as described.

6. In a potato planter, the combination with a frame, a casing supportedon the frame, an axle supporting the frame, and

traction wheels in the axle, of a hopper in the casing, a conveyermovable through the hopper, buckets on said conveyer adapted to carrythe potatoes out of the hopper, a rotary device, a series of pivotedarms on said rotary device, a spring-pressed lever constructed to engagesaid arms and move them to intermittently remove potatoes from thebuckets of the conveyer, and drop them onto the ground, said bucketscomprising plates, and receptacles formed on the back of the plates andsaid conveyer so positioned as to drop the potatoes from the plates intothe receptacles in advance thereof, a receptacle formed in said casingand into which the surplus potatoes from the conveyer fall, and aconveyer adapted to carry the potatoes from said receptacle back intothe hopper, substantially as described.

7 In a potato planter, the combination with a frame, a casing supportedon the frame, an axle supporting the frame, and traction wheels on theaxle, of a hopper in the casing, a conveyer through the hopper, bucketson said conveyer adapted to carry the potatoes out of the hopper, arotary device, a series of pivoted arms on said rotary device, aspringpressed lever constructed to engage said arms and move them tointermittently remove potatoes from the buckets of the conveyer, anddrop them onto the ground, said buckets comprising plates, andreceptacles formed on the back of the plates and said conveyer sopositioned as to drop the potatoes from the plates into the receptaclesin advance thereof, spring-pressed arms over said conveyers and adaptedto knock the surplus potatoes out of the receptacles, a receptacleformed in said casing and into which the surplus potatoes from theconveyer fall, and a conveyer adapted to carry'the potatoes from saidreceptacle back into the hopper, substantially as described.

8. In a potato planter, the combination with a frame, a casing supportedon the frame, an axle supporting the frame, and traction wheels on theaxle, of a hopper in the casing, a conveyer movable through the hopper,buckets on said conveyer adapted to carry the potatoes out of thehopper, a rotary device, a series of pivoted arms on said rotary device,a spring pressed lever constructed to engage said arms and move them tointermittently remove potatoes from the buckets of the conveyer, anddrop them onto the ground, spool shaped guides for said conveyers, andplates back of said conveyers at the point of engagement of said armswith the potatoes in the receptacle, a

receptacle formed in said casing, and into which the surplus potatoesfrom the conveyer fall, and a conveyer adapted to carry the potatoesfrom said receptacle back into the hopper, substantially as described.

9. In a potato planter, the combination with a frame, a casing supportedon the frame, and axles supporting the frame, of a double compartmenthopper formed in the casing, independent conveyers for each compartmentof the hopper, rotary devices, pivoted arms on said rotary devices,springpressed levers engaging said arms and adapted to move them so asto engage potatoes on the conveyer, and an outlet chute located betweensaid rotary devices and through which the potatoes are dropped by saidarms onto the ground, substantially as described.

10. In a potato planter, the combination with a frame, a casingsupported on the frame, and axles supporting the frame, of a doublecompartment hopper formed in the casing, independent conveyers for eachconipartment of the hopper, rotary devices, pivoted arms on said rotarydevices, spring pressed levers engaging said arms and adapted to movethem so as to engage potatoes on the conveyer, an outlet chute lo: catedbetween said rotary devices and through which the potatoes are droppedby said arms onto the ground, a compartment between the conveyers at thepoint of en- 10 gagement of the arms with the potatoes and into whichthe surplus potatoes fall, and a conveyer constructed to carry thepotatoes from said last-mentioned compartment back into the hopper,substantially as described.

11. In a potato planter, the combination with a frame, an axlesupporting the frame,

a hopper on the frame, and an endless potato conveyer constructed tocarry potatoes out of the hopper, ofpotato dropping means 15 comprisinga shaft, means for turning the shaft, a disk on said shaft, an armpivotally supported between its ends on said disk, one end of said armconstructed to engage a potato, a spring-pressed lever comprising twomembers, a cam on the disk engaging one member of the lever throughout apredetermined part of the revolution of said disk, and the other memberadapted to engage the shorter end of said arm to throw the arm intoposition to engage a potato when the cam passes a first-mentionedmember, substantially as described.

12. In a potato planter, the combination with a frame, an axlesupporting the frame, 133

a hopper on the frame, and an endless potato conveyer constructed tocarry potatoes out of the hopper, of potato dropping means comprising ashaft, means for turning the shaft, a disk on said shaft, an armpivotally the arm into position to engage a potato when the cam passes afirst-mentioned mem her, a roller on the shorter end of said arm adaptedto be engaged by said lever, and a fixed track around which said rollerrides, said track having ofisets therein for the movement of the rollerwhen the arm is forced into potato engaging position, substantially asdescribed.

13. In a potato planter, the combination with a frame, an axlesupporting the frame, wheels supporting the axle, a hopper supported onthe frame, and an endless bucket conveyor constructed to carry potatoesout of said hopper, of potato dropping means comprising a shaft, meansfor turning the shaft, a disk fixed on said shaft, a plurality of armspivotally supported between their ends on said disk, rollers on theshorter ends of said arms, prongs on the longer ends of said armsadapted to engage potatoes on the conveyor, rollers on the shorter endsof said arms, a fixed track against which said rollers run, aspring-pressed lever comprising two parallel members, cams on said diskadapted to engage one of said members to hold the lever outwardly, theother of said members adapted to move between the disk and the trackwhen the cam has passed,

whereby said last-mentioned member will engagethe shorter end of thearms in regular order to throw them outward into potato engagingposition, substantially as de scribed.

14. In a potato planter, the combination with a frame, an axlesupporting the frame, wheels supporting the axle, ahopper supported onthe frame, and an endless bucket conveyor constructed to carry potatoesout of said hopper, of potato dropping means comprising a shaft, meansfor turning the shaft, a disk-fixed on said shaft, a plurality of armspivotally supported between their ends on said disk, rollers on theshorter ends of said arms, prongs on the longer ends of said armsadapted to engage potatoes on the conveyor, rollers on the shorter endsof said arms, a fixed track against which said rollers run, aspring-pressed lever comprising two parallel members, cams on said diskadapted to engage one of said members to hold the lever outwardly, theother of said members adapted to move between the disk and the trackwhen the cam has passed, whereby said last-mentioned member will engagethe shorter end of the arms in regular order to throw them outward intopotato engaging position, a slotted partition through which said armsare moved, said slot smaller than the potatoes to be planted, and achute in close proximity to said partition down which the potatoes aredropped onto the ground, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

EMANUEL W. KITCHEN.

Witnesses:

RIoHD. G. FOULKE, CHARLES GILBERT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

